Tessa Blanchard’s Status for TNA Final Resolution Weekend Revealed

TNA is officially bringing back one of its most controversial former stars, Tessa Blanchard.

PWInsider confirmed that Blanchard flew into Atlanta yesterday to take part in this weekend’s Final Resolution pay-per-view and TV tapings. This marks her first appearance with the company in four years, following a dramatic fallout in 2020.

Word among talents backstage is that Blanchard will initially work a program with Jordynne Grace, although it’s unclear if that’s the confirmed direction. Grace is advertised to face Rosemary at Final Resolution, and her contract with TNA is set to expire in early 2025.

Blanchard’s return comes after months of internal discussions about bringing her back into the fold. Her original run with TNA ended under a cloud of controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she was residing in Mexico, and issues over her contract and title reign led to her being stripped of the Impact World Heavyweight Championship. The company announced her departure, citing her failure to appear for a scheduled title defense and refusal to submit promotional material for the show.

Now, with a new management regime in place, TNA and Blanchard are starting with a clean slate. At just 29 years old, Blanchard brings a legacy steeped in wrestling history as the granddaughter of Joe Blanchard, daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard, and stepdaughter of Magnum TA.

During her initial tenure, Blanchard made history by becoming the first woman to win the Impact Wrestling Championship, defeating Sami Callihan at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view in 2020. However, allegations of backstage misconduct, including the use of a racial slur, cast a shadow over her career. While Blanchard publicly denied the claims, they significantly impacted her momentum with fans. In 2023, she and La Rosa Negra, the wrestler at the center of the allegations, posed together in a social media photo, seemingly indicating reconciliation.

Since her departure, Blanchard has mostly stayed out of the national wrestling scene, focusing on furthering her education and wrestling in Mexico and on the independent circuit. Her return to TNA marks her first major platform in the United States in years.